Sieur de Poutrincourt had gone into partnership with two Dieppe merchants,[40] who, seeing the two Jesuits,—namely, Father Biar[d], a very learned man, a native of Gascony, of whom Monsieur the first President of Bordeaux has given me a high opinion; and Father Nemon [Ennemond],—ready to embark, they objected, and did not want them to go upon the voyage, saying that they would willingly provide for all other kinds of men, Capuchins, Minimes, Cordeliers, Recollets, etc.;[41] but, as to these, they did not want them at all, and could not consider themselves safe in their company; that if the Queen wished them to go there, let their [the merchants'] money be refunded, and they might do whatever they wished. Now there is a delay. [33] The Court must be written to, her Majesty must be informed of the situation, the money to reimburse the Merchants must be collected, and journeys must be made: meanwhile, the season is passing away. The Queen granted them two thousand écus, in addition to which collections were made from the families of Princes, Nobles, and people devoted to the cause, whence they obtained a great deal of money. In short, they reimbursed each of the Merchants two thousand livres, and at last set sail, the 26th of January, 1611. The weather was disagreeable, this being the roughest part of the winter. They were some time upon the sea, thinking they would be able to resist the winds, but they were compelled to put into port in England, where they remained until the 16th of February. And the 19th of April they were upon the great Codfish Banks, where they found some Ships from Dieppe and Sainct Malo. The 29th, being between these Banks and the island of Sable, they sailed before the wind a distance of twelve leagues, in the midst of ice, mountain high, upon which they disembarked to get some fresh water, which they found good. In emerging from this ice, they met one of Sieur de Monts' ships, commanded by Captain Champlein,[42] whose return we are awaiting to learn of some new discoveries. Afterwards, they continued to encounter other masses of ice, for a distance of fifty leagues, which they had much difficulty in outsailing. The fifth of May, they sighted the land and port of Campseau, the location of which can be seen in the great geographical Chart in my History.[43] [34] Father Biar[d] sang Mass there; then they sailed along the coast, so that the 21st of May they cast anchor at the entrance to the passage which leads to Port Royal.
Le sieur de Poutrincourt avoit cedit iour fait assembler ses gens pour prier Dieu, & se preparer à la celebration de la féte de Pentecôte. Et comme chacun c'estoit rangé a son devoir, voici environ trois heures apres le coucher vne canonade, & vne trompette, qui reveille les dormans. On envoye au devant. On trouve que ce sont amis. Là dessus allegresse & rejouïssance, [178] & actions de graces à Dieu en procession sur la montagne que i'ay mentionné ci-dessus. La premiere demande que fit ledit Sieur à son fils, ce fut de la santé du Roy. Il luy fit réponse qu'il estoit mort. Et interrogé de quelle mort, il lui en fit le recit selõ qu'il l'avoit entendu en France. Là dessus chacun se print à pleurer, méme les Sauvages apres avoir entendu ce desastre, dont ils ont fait le dueil fort long temps, ainsi qu'ils eussent fait d'vn de leurs plus grands Sagamos.
The same day sieur de Poutrincourt had called his people together to pray to God, and to prepare themselves for the celebration of the Pentecostal feast. And, as each one had placed himself at his post of duty, suddenly, about three hours after bedtime, there is heard the sound of cannon and trumpet, which awakes the sleepers. Scouts are sent out; they are found to be friends. Then there is joy and gladness, and thanksgivings to God in a procession to the mountain of which I have spoken above. The first question which the Sieur asked his son, was about the King's health. He answered that he was dead. In reply to further inquiries, he told the story as he had heard it in France. Thereupon, they all began to weep, even the Savages joining in after they had heard about the catastrophe; and they continued to mourn for a long time, just as they would have done for one of their greatest Sagamores.
A peine fut arriué ledit sieur de Sainct Iust, que les Sauvages Etechemins (qui ayment le sieur de Poutrincourt) lui vindrent annoncer qu'il y avoit en leurs cótes trois Navires, tant Maloins que Rochelois, lesquels se vantoient de le devorer ainsi que feroit le Gougou vn pauvre Sauvage. Ce qu'entendu par ledit sieur de Poutrincourt, il n'eut la patience de faire descharger le vaisseau nouuellemẽt arrivé, ains à l'instant méme alla ancrer au-devant desdits [35] trois Navires, & fit venir tous les Capitaines parler à lui, qui preterent obeïssance, & leur fit ledit sieur reconoitre l'authorité de son fils, comme Vic' Admiral esdictes terres du Ponant. Vn Navire Maloin voulant faire quelque rebellion, fut prins, mais ledit sieur selon sa debonnaireté accoustumée, le relacha, apres lui avoir remontré de ne plus venir en mer sans sa Charte partie. Là le pere Birat dit la Messe, & fit ce qu'il peut pour ranger vn chacun à ce qui estoit du devoir. Et particulierement il fit reconoître sa faute à vn ieune hõme qui avoit passé l'hiver parmi les hommes & les femmes Sauvages, lequel demanda pardon à qui il appartenoit, & receut la Communion de sa main. Cela fait chacun revint au Port Royal en grãde rejouïssance.
Sieur de Sainct Just had hardly arrived, when the Etechemin Savages (who love sieur de Poutrincourt) came to announce to him that there were three Ships upon their coasts, from St. Malo and Rochelle, which were boasting that they would devour him as the Gougou[44] would a poor Savage. Upon hearing this, sieur de Poutrincourt would not even wait to have the lately-arrived ship unloaded; but straightway went and anchored opposite [35] these three Ships, and summoned all the Captains to come and speak with him. They obeyed, and the sieur made them acknowledge the authority of his son, as Vice-Admiral in the said lands of the West. One of the Malouin Ships, while trying to make some resistance, was taken, but the sieur, with his usual good-nature, released it, after having admonished it never again to come to sea without its Charter-party.[45] There Father Birat [Biard] said Mass, and did all he could to bring each one to a sense of his duty. In particular, he caused a young man to acknowledge his transgressions, who had passed the winter with the men and women Savages: he [the young man] asked pardon from him [Poutrincourt] to whom this was due; and received the Communion from his [the Father's] hand. After this they all returned to Port Royal, with great rejoicing.
[180] Le retardement susdit est cause que lesditz navires & autres estãs arrivés devant ledit sieur de Sct. Iust; ils ont enlevé tout ce qui estoit de bon au païs pour le commerce des Castors & autres pelleteries, lesquelles fussent venuës és marins du Sieur de Poutrincourt si son fils fust retourné par-dela au temps qui lui avoit esté enioint. Et davantage on en eust sauvé pour plus de six mille escus que les Sauvages ont mangées durant l'hiver, lesquelles ilz fussent venus troquer audit Port Royal s'il y eust eu les choses qui leur sont necessaires. Vne faute aussi fut cõmise avant le partement de Dieppe par l'infidelité du Contre-maistre de navire, lequel ayant charge d'enruner (c'est à dire mettre dedans) le blé, le détournoit à son profit. [36] Ce qui ayda à la disette que noz François ont par-dela soufferte. Et neantmoins Dieu les a tellement sustentés, qu'il n'y a eu aucun malade: voire ceux qui en sont de retour se plaisent à cela, & n'y en a pas vn qui ne soit en volonté d'y retourner.
In the delay previously mentioned may be found the reason why these ships and others, having arrived before sieur de Sainct Just, took away all that was valuable in the country as regards the Beaver and other fur trade, which would have reverted to Sieur de Poutrincourt's sailors if his son had returned from over the sea at the time stipulated. And besides, more than six thousand escus [écus] worth of peltries would have been saved which the Savages devoured during the winter, and which they would have come to Port Royal to exchange, had they found there what they needed. A wicked act was also committed before the ship's departure from Dieppe, by the Overseer of the boat, who, being charged to load [enruner] the wheat, appropriated it to his own profit, [36] which contributed to the scarcity which our countrymen suffered over there. And yet God so sustained them, that no one has been sick; even those who have come back, are fortunate in that respect, and there is not one of them who would not like to return to that country.
EFFECTS DE LA GRACE DE DIEU EN LA NOUVELLE-FRANCE.
Nous pouvons mettre ce que ie viens de dire entre les effects de la grace de Dieu: comme aussi les racines qu'il leur envoya au besoin, dont nous avons parlé, & sur-ce l'exercice des paresseux qui ne s'estoient voulu occuper à la terre, lesquels sans y penser en cultiverent vn beau champ en cherchant desdites racines. Mais particulierement encore l'exemption de maladies, qui est vn miracle tres-evident. Car és voyages precedens il ne s'en est iamais passé vn seul sans mortalité, quoy qu'on fust bien à l'aise. Et en cetui-ci non seulement les sains ont esté preseruez, [182] mais aussi ceux qui estoient affligez de maladie en France ont la receu guarison. Tesmoin vn honéte personnage nommé Bertrand, lequel à Paris estoit journellement tourmenté de la goutte, de laquelle il a esté totalement exempt par dela. Mais depuis qu'il est de retour, le méme mal est retourné avec plus d'effects de douleurs qu'auparauant, quoy qu'il se garde sans aucun exercice.